Boot or shoe stretcher



(No Model.)

W. JONES.

BOOT OR SHOE STRETGHER.

No. 375,939. Patented Jan. 3, 1888.

WITNESSES INVEJVTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILEY JONES, or NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

BOOT OR SHOE STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 3'75,939, dated January3, 1888.

Application filed May 9, 1885. Serial No. 164,917. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILEY Jonas, acitizen of the United States, residingat Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Boot or Shoe Stretchers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention consists of certain devices attached to a divided woodenlast, whereby the said last is made to stretch a shoe across the toe andon the instep, as will be hereinafter described.

In the drawings which serve to illustrate my invention and form a partof this specification, Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation showing theinner side of the divided wooden last with central longitudinal sectionof the bottom plate and instep-cap. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section in theline a: m of Fig. 1. Fig. 3. shows the stretcher as used in stretchingthe instep. Fig. 4. is a perspective of the heelnuts. Fig. 5 is aperspective of the bottom plate. Fig. 6 is a perspective of the linksand swivel-nut. Fig. 7 is a view of a part of heelnut with tappedscrewthreaded aperture.

In the drawings already mentioned, M is a metallic bottom plate fittingunder the bottom of the last and provided with two studs, N N, whichstuds fit detachably each into a corresponding socket or cavity in thebottom of the last near the toe.

L and L are two screw-threaded heel-nuts tapped vertically for the screwA. One of these nuts is secured to each half of the last outside of thehinge, and when the screw A is inserted vertically through these nutsthey serve to lock together the two halves of the last and prevent thetee from spreading open while the heel is being raised in the process ofstretching the instep.

G, G, and D are three links pivoted on one pin in the swivel nut B, link0 being under link 0 and pivoted in the same side of the last, and linkD interlapping between them and pivoted in the opposite side of thelast, thereby balancing the pressure on nut B and preventing wrenchingon the said nut, as seen in Figs. 2 and 6.

B is a swivelnut fitting detachaloly on the end of screwA, and providedwith a single pin,on which are pivoted the links 0, O, and D.

T is an orifice in the top of the last for the pin ofinstep-cap O,one-half of the said oriv fice being cut from each side of the last.

The parts which in this application are des ignated as screw A. andheel'brace E are old,and therefore not claimed in this applieation, thesame having been described and claimed in my application for LettersPatent for improvement in shoe-stretchers, filed April 22, 1885, SerialNo. 163,035. As maybe seen, however, they are advantageously combined inmy present improvement for more effectually stretching shoes. To stretcha shoe across the toe, I turn the screw A, which drives forward theswivel-nut B, thereby causing the links 0, 0, and D to expand thedivided last U U, as seen in Fig. 2. Heelbrace E presses on the counterinside the shoe and holds the last from slipping back during thisprocess of stretching across the toe. To stretch a shoe on the instep, Idetach the screw A from the swivel-nut B and insert the said screwvertically through the pair of heel-nuts L and L. Then I put the bottomplate, M,.and the instepcap O in their places and turn screw A, therebyraising the last, as seen in Fig. 3. The pair of heelnuts are secured tothe last in an open-jointed manner, so as not to prevent a sufficientspread of the last in widening the shoe.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Thecombination, in a shoe-stretcher consisting of a divided woodenlast, of the bottom plate, M, provided with studs I N, fitted in theircorresponding cavities in the said last, substantially as and for thepurposes described and set forth.

2. In a shoe stretcher, the links 0, G, and D, in combination withswivel-nut B, and pivoted on a single pin in the said nut, allsubstantially as and for the purposes described and set forth.

WILEY JONES.

Witnesses:

Brennan H. BAKER, J r., Wnsrwoon A. Tom).

